


Old Wounds

by daljosu



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Bruises, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hurt/Comfort, Past Character Death, Past Violence, Unbeta'd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:28:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daljosu/pseuds/daljosu
Summary: “I never thought I would have to fight Darth Maul again. I was sure I had killed him on Naboo after he killed my master.” The tight pull at Obi-Wan’s lips implies the words he had just uttered were tough to admit. The almighty Obi-Wan Kenobi, struggling not to cry.Or, the aftermath of Season 4, Episode 22 of The Clone Wars.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 2
Kudos: 104





	Old Wounds

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from a legends comic detailing obi-wan and maul's fight on tatooine. i hope you enjoy reading this! i cranked it out super fast so apologies if it's all over the place and full of grammatical errors or something haha
> 
> none of these characters belong to me, they belong to disney!!

Anakin had not been expecting his former master to look so rough in the med-bay. Not only thanks to the vibrant discoloration spreading across his face but also thanks to the uncharacteristic pull of his eyebrows, a facial expression very heavily resembling one of Anakin’s own frustrated expressions. Anakin casts a wary look to his padawan, Ahsoka, who meets his eyes with her own concern rippling through their training bond.

Anakin approaches the bed slowly, as to not spook his master. The med droids had long since left the Jedi Master on his own, the proof of their care blatant with a large bacta patch wrapped around Obi-Wan’s bare ribs. So he had cracked some of them, then. It was almost laughable to have Anakin and his master’s roles switched around, but the dire situation which had caused such injuries halted the humorous rumble in its tracks.

Obi-Wan’s face turns to Anakin and he can immediately recognize the discontent with himself flowing disorientingly off the elder Jedi. It is rare that Anakin ever gets to experience so much unbridled and unguarded emotion from his former master that it takes him back. He knows the mission of apprehending a resurrected Darth Maul had gone poorly, but to what extent it was still unknown.

A glance at Ahsoka has Anakin sending his young padawan away. It didn’t seem like Obi-Wan was up for any visitors, minus himself. With Ahsoka gone, Anakin takes the time to study his master’s face, not forgetting to note his swollen eye and the dark bruise beginning to color Obi-Wan’s pallid skin. The stark lighting of the med-bay does no favors for Obi-Wan’s skin tone.

“I could have handled Darth Maul on my own had Savage Opress not been there.” Obi-Wan’s musing brought Anakin back into the present and the younger Jedi seats himself beside his master on the mattress. The frustration is clear in Obi-Wan’s voice. “I feel terrible as-is thanks to the humiliation of needing the aid of Ventress to escape.” Anakin studies his master as Obi-Wan sighs, prodding gently at his swollen eye before grimacing.

Taking the adventurous hand away from Obi-Wan’s face, Anakin continues to hold his master’s hand, projecting as much relaxation he could toward his master’s agitated aura. He receives a sharp look from Obi-Wan before his hand is slapped away from his master’s.

“I can take care of myself just fine, Anakin.” He grumbles.  _ Grumbles. _ The shock must show clearly on Anakin’s face (as every other emotion often does) since it coaxes a chuckle from his former master. “What? You’ve seen me banged up worse than this before.”

The words are out of Anakin’s mouth before he can stop them. “Well, yeah, but I’ve never felt your feelings like this before.” The observation is scathing in its own way, melting the pride of one of the Jedi Council’s best generals. Anakin watches Obi-Wan’s face harden before it turns away.

“I never thought I would have to fight Darth Maul again. I was sure I had killed him on Naboo after he killed my master.” The tight pull at Obi-Wan’s lips implies the words he had just uttered were tough to admit. The almighty Obi-Wan Kenobi, struggling not to cry. Anakin recaptures his master’s hand in his own, though he doesn’t push anything through their own unbroken training bond. The situation is bizarre for Anakin, who is still coming to terms with this new side he never considered to exist in the elder Jedi.

Obi-Wan doesn’t slap his hand away like before.

“I got angry,” Obi-Wan continues, his good eye finally meeting Anakin’s own blue eyes. The bruises are black and purple and green across his old master’s face. He notices for the first time that Obi-Wan’s nose is crooked, definitely broken. “I couldn’t control the disbelief and utter  _ rage  _ I felt at the idea of having to beat him again.”

Anakin’s mouth opens and closes. Confiding in the Jedi with the least ability to control their emotions was admittedly not Obi-Wan’s best move, but Anakin could see where his master was coming from. There was no doubt about that.

“When I thought you had been killed by the sniper, Rako Hardeen, that was the angriest I had ever felt. For a while, the only thing I could focus on was catching him and giving him what he deserved.” Anakin found his voice, muttering softly as he scooted up on the medical bed in order to sit side-by-side with Obi-Wan. “Trust me when I tell you that the rage and disbelief you were feeling are natural. Did you ever stop to grieve for Master Jinn?”

“No,” Obi-Wan’s answer is quiet and Anakin glances over at his former master, who appears even more tired than he did two minutes ago. Obi-Wan’s head falls to rest on his former padawan’s shoulder and Anakin lets him, allowing the general a selfish moment to himself. The weight of the war and their role in it always presses heavily on both of them. “Jedi don’t grieve.”

The words leave a bitter taste in Anakin’s mouth and he almost bursts out, his own irritation flooding to the surface. Of course,  _ Jedi don’t grieve _ . Anakin had been told those same words so many times by Master Windu and Master Yoda that they should be ironed into his brain.

Obi-Wan shifts uncomfortably against Anakin, pulling him back out of his thoughts once more. He watches his master quizzically before he catches Obi-Wan’s hand from picking at the bacta wrapped around his ribs.

“I hate bacta,” Obi-Wan complains petulantly. It seems like Anakin won’t stop being surprised by his old master. The younger Jedi blinks and settles Obi-Wan’s fidgeting hand in his own lap, his gloved hand subconsciously rubbing circles into the back of his master’s hand.

“I know,” is the only thing Anakin murmurs, shifting as Obi-Wan’s head falls back onto Anakin’s shoulder. Their training bond is blown open and it feels like Anakin is floating in a sea of feelings not his own. In all of the years that Obi-Wan had been Anakin’s master (and continued being his master), Anakin had never felt him as weak as he was now. All it took was one glance into the bond for Anakin to see through Obi-Wan’s eyes the events that had taken place in the freighter.

Pulled from the terrible wash of memories by Obi-Wan’s exhausted head slipping off of Anakin’s shoulder in sleep, Anakin gently adjusts Obi-Wan’s sleeping form back onto the bed as he stands. As Anakin prepares to leave the med-bay room, he spares several seconds watching his master’s small frame on the clean, white mattress.

Anakin exits the med-bay and finds Ahsoka in the hallway, having slid down into a seated position. Her head lolls before it pops back up, obviously weary after waiting for her masters. Instead of asking her up, Anakin slides down to the floor beside her. The lights of Coruscant reflect behind them through the Jedi Temple windows, washing them both in pale twilight.

“How is he?” Ahsoka’s voice is sleepy and Anakin can’t blame her for feeling so drowsy. He wasn’t sure how long he had sat in the med-bay with Obi-Wan, but it was long enough for Anakin’s hyperactive padawan to grow tired.

Anakin sighs and runs a hand through his hair, the dull  _ thump _ as it falls against the window behind them echoing down the empty hallway. “He’s definitely been better,” He begins hesitantly, apprehensive about sharing everything Obi-Wan had told him with his young padawan. “He’ll come around, though.”

Ahsoka hums softly before she tugs her knees up into her chest, embracing them with her arms. She was obviously shaken by seeing Anakin’s own master in such rough shape. It hadn’t been the physicality of the wounds and more the mental injury.  _ Old wounds. _

“I think I learned more about Obi-Wan than I ever did as his padawan.” Anakin murmurs into the silence, rolling his head over to observe his padawan. Ahsoka turns a questioning gaze to her master, prompting him to say more. “He’s human,” Anakin states plainly, a laugh shaking his shoulders.

“Oh,” Ahsoka’s response is magnificent as she dugs her chin into her knee. Her lips puff out into a slight pout and her eyes droop a bit more, showing Anakin her sheer exhaustion. He hauls himself to his feet and offers his padawan a hand, helping her to her feet.

“You’re exhausted, I’m exhausted, and Obi-Wan is sleeping. Come on, Snips, let’s go to bed.”

―◊―

Anakin wakes the next morning groggy, clouded sunlight filling his temporary quarters through the opened blinds. In his drowsiness the previous night, Anakin had failed to flick the blinds closed. Stretching languidly in bed, the Jedi wonders whether Obi-Wan is awake or not.

Rolling from the low mattress, Anakin glances down at his wrinkled robes. Apparently, the robes hadn’t been the only thing Anakin had forgotten to change last night. Scrunching his nose at the dark, crinkled fabric, he switches out of the slept-in robes for a fresh pair from the fresher. Satisfied, Anakin makes his way to the padawan quarters in order to rouse Ahsoka.

His padawan takes more time to wake and freshen herself up, but she appears bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when Anakin finally sees her pass through the doors. Together, they make the trek across the Temple to the med-bay.

Upon passing through the doors, Anakin finds his former master awake and freshly changed, the bruising nearly gone from his face and the swelling drastically reduced. Anakin feels almost guilty by the pure relief that floods his system. Not only does Obi-Wan look better, but he  _ feels _ better too. Their training bond is back to singing contentedly, both its halves balanced once more.

“Master!” Anakin greets, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. The mirth in Obi-Wan’s eyes is genuine and the younger Jedi almost wishes to have as quick of a rebound time as his master. The jealousy is quickly gone in favor of inspecting Obi-Wan closer.

“Yes, Anakin? The med droids have cleared me for release. The only thing left is the bacta patch around my ribs.” He sighs at that, ever the drama queen, and it grants an eye roll from Anakin. Ahsoka muffles a giggle behind her hand, large eyes peering around Anakin’s side at his former master.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be so…” Anakin rubs the back of his neck and watches as Obi-Wan quirks an eyebrow at his old padawan.  _ I know exactly what he’s going to say. He’ll say— _

“Have a little faith in your master,” He quips, confirming Anakin’s suspicions. “In fact, the Council has already assigned me a new mission.”

A protest forms on Anakin’s lips immediately as he thinks back to the state that Obi-Wan had been in the previous night, but his master waves away any objection he would’ve said.

“I hear you, Anakin. It’s quite alright, after a night of rest and several hours of meditation, I’m ready for anything.” His gaze darkens a bit and something meaningful glints in their sky blue depths. “Even Darth Maul.” He adds, softer but nonetheless determined.

A spike of concern for his master—no attachments—flutters through Anakin’s body and makes his heart stutter. There’s no way that the Council would put Obi-Wan back on Darth Maul, not after the obvious targeting Maul had done in order to exact revenge on Anakin’s old master. The thought of Obi-Wan chasing after the trauma from his past makes the younger Jedi hot with anger.

_ This is unfair, they know what happened between Maul and Obi-Wan and yet they still send him into the line of fire. What is the Jedi Council becoming? _

A weight on his shoulder startles Anakin out of his thoughts and he follows the pale sleeve from his shoulder to Obi-Wan, a meaningful look crossing his old master’s bearded features. “ _ Anakin _ , trust the Council. Trust  _ me _ .”

Anakin steels himself and nods shortly, stepping out of the way as Obi-Wan pushes out of the med-bay room. Ahsoka touches her master’s elbow hesitantly and Anakin turns to her after the bright frame of Obi-Wan is out of Anakin’s eyesight.

“Is he really okay?” She questions softly as she and her master begin to leave the med-bay.

Anakin ponders her question seriously. Knowing his master, he’s not back at 100% quite yet. But still, knowing his master, he will be. “Eventually, yes. Besides, I get the feeling that no matter how hard we try, he’s going to face Maul again anyways.” A frown tugs down on Anakin’s lips at the thought.

_ Trust the Council. Trust me. _

_ Alright, if you say so Obi-Wan. _ Anakin turns to Ahsoka then, taking his old master’s word for once and pushing his worries out into the constant energy of the Force. “I trust Obi-Wan to take care of himself. Now, how do you feel about some drills before we meet with the Council about our own mission?”

A grin eats up Ahsoka’s face at the mention and Anakin struggles not to laugh. She is possibly the only padawan to ever enjoy drills. “You’re on, Skyguy.”

_ I trust the Council. I trust Obi-Wan. I trust the Force. _


End file.
